Holidays and their effect on child custody

The holidays are often a time when Tennessee families get together to celebrate the season. However, for parents who are divorced, they may or may not be able to spend Christmas with their children. In many cases, divorced parents will come up with a parenting plan that determines their child custody arrangements. For instance, a parent may have custody of his or her child on Christmas one year and let the other parent have custody on that day the next year.

It is possible for parents to come up with their own parenting plan without the help of an attorney. However, an attorney may be helpful in assisting an individual in creating an agreement that will put into writing and signed by both parents. Putting an agreement into writing will eliminate the chances of a he said-she said custody battle unfolding in court.

It is typically in the best interests of children to spend time with both parents whenever possible. They will not understand why their parents are fighting or don't get along, and they shouldn't be put in the middle of a fight between two adults. It is possible to make any day special, so parents should remember that celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25 instead of Dec. 26 isn't necessarily as important as being with their kids at some point during the holiday season.

A child custody dispute could strain relationships between parents as well as between parents and children. Therefore, it is in everyone's best interest to settle such disputes as quickly as possible. A family law attorney can often help a parent create a new child custody arrangement that both parents can agree to and that is also in the best interests of the child.

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